


Amortentia

by Im_Chamsae



Series: Fantastic Beasts and Where NOT to find them (Stephanie Brown Edition) [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, F/M, Happy Ending, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Near Death Experiences, Stalker Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown is Spoiler, Stephanie Brown is a Witch, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake-centric, TimSteph
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24813910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Im_Chamsae/pseuds/Im_Chamsae
Summary: What initially started out as an interest in the unknown unlocked Tim Drake’s long-life obsession with Gotham’s resident blonde-haired witch.Or, five times Tim Drake encounters Stephanie Brown and it ends in his misfortune and one time it doesn’t, and his poor heart can’t handle it.
Relationships: Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Kon-El | Conner Kent
Series: Fantastic Beasts and Where NOT to find them (Stephanie Brown Edition) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787296
Comments: 8
Kudos: 74





	Amortentia

**Author's Note:**

> A side-story to ‘Hocus Pocus’, takes place in an alternate universe where Stephanie Brown graduated from Hogwarts and is now Gotham’s resident Magizoologist.
> 
> You don’t need to read ‘Hocus Pocus’ to understand this as I think it can stand alone by itself but perhaps it would be better to read it since some events from ‘Gryffindor Tales’ and ‘Gotham Adventures’ are referenced in this.

**일**

When fourteen-year-old Timothy Jackson Drake first met Stephanie Brown, he did not expect to get slapped across the face with a brick.

In retrospect, perhaps he did deserve it a little bit.

He did essentially tackle the girl mid-air whilst she was swinging away, and may have kind of used her as a landing pillow when they crashed onto a rooftop. And he supposed that he had sort of rudely ripped her mask right off her face without her permission. But still, a brick was dangerous!

He could have gotten seriously hurt! Or worse, he could have potentially died from the sudden impact caused by blunt force trauma. There were just too many possibilities!

Needless to say, he was glad that he hadn’t taken too much damage from the brick slap, but it still didn’t mean that it hadn’t hurt any less.

And surely, she must have realised herself how much it must have hurt, and had pitied him too. Why else would she had left behind a chocolate frog for him before hastily running away?

* * *

It was only a little later when they had returned to the Batcave when he finally decided to treat himself.

Upon opening the item, it had looked relatively normal enough and even smelled like typical milk chocolate when he had taken a sniff at it. Seeing no harm, and shrugging to himself, Tim decided to take the first bite… only to realise that his chocolate was _… wiggling?_

He let out a frightened scream, dropping the said item to the ground.

To his great fascination, he watched as the chocolate frog wriggle out of its ornately decorated blue and gold pentagonal box before hopping across the floor.

“Bruce… Please tell me I’m not the only one seeing this? Please tell me I’m not going crazy.” Whispered Tim in awe, crouching down on his elbows and knees as he tried to get closer to observe the chocolate creature.

From behind his cowl, Bruce frowned, “you’re not. But I’d rather not that have thing hopping around the cave any longer that it already has.” He didn’t need an infestation of ants in the Batcave, Alfred would not let him hear the end if it if were to ever come down to that.

As Bruce stared at the animated treat that had captured his sidekick’s attention, he could come up with only one plausible explanation for it and he didn’t like it in the slightest. ‘Magic.’

  
**이**

The next time Tim had encountered Stephanie Brown after getting his memory wiped and recovered, was when he was seventeen years old and in the process of setting up The Belfry.

It had been approximately a month after her official return to Gotham city.

The encounter itself had occurred relatively briefly, and incredibly unexpectedly.

Never in his wildest imaginations would he have expected to catch a quick glimpse of the blonde-haired witch riding on a broomstick at an incredibly highspeed, flying down one of the oldest unused tunnels of Gotham. But nothing would have compared to the enormous bright green skinned snake that had chased after her in quick pursuit, its sharp fanged jaws wide open and ready to snap at her.

As he watched the long serpent’s body slide past from one end to another of the tunnel, the tools in his hands had dropped to the ground as his face paled. When he had woken up earlier that morning and decided to work on The Belfry that day, he was not expecting to discover that the source of all those underground hissing noises he had been hearing were from extremely predatory serpent that had been roaming the undergrounds of Gotham for the later part of half a century.

* * *

Following their momentary encounter, it was then that Tim had decided to keep a close eye on one Stephanie Brown, especially since her presence in Gotham city was now permanent, and an anomaly.

She was Gotham’s resident witch, the only one of her kind to have appeared on their radar.

But unlike Zatara and Zatanna, her magic was different. So much so that it made her unpredictable.

A potential threat.

In the short period of time since she has returned to Gotham, he had seen her transfigure Damian into a robin bird, unleash a ‘harmless’ (Damian’s words) dragon in the Batcave and recapture it when Batman could not, and trap an enormous serpent into a dead-end, whilst unknowingly discovering what was supposed to be his greatest creation yet.

There was so much to Stephanie Brown that was still unknown, and it had him on edge because he wouldn’t know how to counter her if she ever were to pose as a threat to them.

So, doing what he did best, he decide to tail her – he needed to study her from afar in order to build a better idea and understanding of just who was Stephanie Brown.

Or, at least he had hoped to until she had caught him off guard when she cornered and stunned him in the alleyway with her visiting friend, the very same one who had wiped his and Bruce’s memories away two years ago. She had given him a warning, one to leave her alone but he had been unable to respond to her, something that must have been an effect of the spell.

Something that she too had realised before quickly undoing it.

After feeling that he was free again, he had made a quick getaway and escaped, but not before one quick glance at where the blonde frustratedly stood.

It was later that night when he added the incident onto to his file on Stephanie Brown. Yet, as useful as the encounter had been, it still did little to resolve the mystery to the full extent of her abilities and capabilities.

* * *

The next time Tim Drake saw her after getting caught; it was when she had come to shake him down in his very own office at Wayne Enterprise, all at once confirming his inner fears and suspicions that the blonde witch did indeed know of his true civilian identity.

It had not been assuring in the slightest, and something that alarmed Bruce as well.

**삼**

It was a little down the line (following that little shake down) when he soon came across Stephanie Brown again.

Like always, it had been completely unanticipated and something that he was undeniably not prepared to deal with at that very moment in time.

It was 6.45am, and he had been waiting patiently in line at Red Robin’s to get his usual cup of coffee before he heading to work when his blue eyes had scanned the diner around him, freezing widely as they focused in on a booth. More specifically, a booth where three painfully familiar people sat.

He felt his jaw slacken slightly as he stared at the smallest figure who was passed out with his head resting on the table top, ‘Is that Damian with them?’

As though sensing his prying eyes, Stephanie had turned to look at him, a grin widening onto her lips as she spotted him back.

‘Crap!’ He whipped his head away and pretended not to have seen her, but it was too late. The blonde witch was already making her way over to him.

“Hey Red,” she greeted him cheerfully, a contradiction to the dark heavy bags that he could see beneath her eyes. Ones that could potentially rival his own. From the looks of things, it appears she might not have slept at all last night. “I didn’t know that you got your usual morning cup of coffee from here.” She noted.

Tim nodded, unsure why she was being so friendly to him suddenly. He couldn’t help but get a sinking suspicion that something bad was going to happen to him, something normally did whenever it came to her. “Sometimes.” He answered, hesitantly.

She hummed at that response, “I see.” She nodded to herself before smiling, “say, you wouldn’t mind taking Robin home right?”

“What?” He spluttered, surprised.

“Oh, you know, since you know where he lives and all.”

‘Was she serious?’ He didn’t have a moment to think further before her friend, Bronte (he had come to learn), had literally placed a sleeping civilian dressed Damian into his arms. He let out a squeak of surprise, his eyes widening even more as he felt the little demon spawn actually wrap his arms around him tightly. ‘No’, this could not be happening to him.

His body stiffened, every cell in his body was screaming danger.

“See, he likes you.” Said Stephanie, tiredly before yawning. “Anyway, thanks, Red. Also, I think you’re up next in the que.” With that, the witch lightly shoved him towards the front of the counter before exiting the diner with her friend.

He wordlessly watched her go, dumbfounded that she had literally just dumped a sleeping demon brat on him. And not just any sleeping demon brat – it was Damian! Freaking Damian! This was not happening to him right now.

“Sir?”

He turned back to the front of the que where a lady stood behind the cashier, waiting for him to order, “um, sorry about that.” He told her, mildly embarrassed.

“No problem, sir. What can I get you?”

“Give me your strongest coffee in the largest size cup possible please. I just want to wake up from this nightmare already.”

The lady nodded before her eyes dropped down to look at Damian, “and the kid?”

He groaned.

**사**

A little further down the line from when she had literally dumped a sleeping Damian into his arms, Tim had next encountered Stephanie Brown whilst working on a case when the blonde had astonishingly saved his life.

He had been investigating a case that had recently caught the media’s attention – a string of gruesome murders in Gotham, where all the victims had been suffocated in their sleep before being eaten, as determined from the coroner reports of what had remained left of the victims when found. It was not a case for the faint hearted, which was probably why he had been even more determined to crack and close the case.

But much to his frustration, and to the rest of the investigative force, there had been practically no evidence or clues left behind at any crime scene at all.

The only key lead that they had was an eye witness testimony report from a neighbour that swore on her life that she had seen ‘a black cloaked figure’ leaving the last victim’s bedroom window before, (and she swears) it floated away.

The testimony itself had not been useful, and neither was the surveillance footage around any of the victim’s homes. He was at his wits ends with this case, so much so that he thought that he might never catch a break, until one night when Barbara had messaged him through his comm about a sighting of a ‘black cloaked figure’ near him.

When he had arrived at the window of what he could only assume was the bedroom, he did not find a single trace of forced entry. There was absolutely nothing that indicated someone had broken in. He had almost given up and left, but then he heard it – the muffled cries of a struggle from within.

Without a second thought, he had forced his way into the room, only to see a black rippling cape wrap itself around a man’s face, suffocating him. It had stunned him from a moment, but he had been quick to react, tossing a weapon at the thing. Much to his surprised, it didn’t work but it had managed to release the captive it had previously been holding onto, only to turn its attention towards him.

It moved quickly, descending on him within seconds as it wrapped its thin body around his face, masking his vision. He let out a cry, but from beneath the being that had viciously grabbed onto his face, it had come out as a softened muffle. His gloved hands moved frantically, trying to pull it off his face but it was no use, the thing refused to let go of him. It was fully determined to suffocate him to death.

God, was this how he was going to die? Suffocated to death by a black wrap theatre curtain? If it was, this was not the way he saw this case going.

As he felt his lungs begin to burn, he could feel himself start to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen. He dropped down to his knees, his arms feeling weak. A stark contrast to the inner turmoil of panic that was exploding in his mind.

‘No!’ He didn’t want to go this way. He couldn’t.

_“Expecto Patronum!”_

Upon hearing those magic words, he could feel himself breathe again.

He found himself gasping as he watched the creature quickly slithering away as it snuck itself through the bottom gap of the bedroom window.

“Damn it!” Stephanie swore as she watched it escape her reach, again. But with the sound of a cough, her attention was then diverted to the recovering vigilante on the ground. She ran towards him as she cupped his face, taking a closer look as she checked his condition. “Well, at least you’re alive.” She told him.

His eyes widened, “What about the – “

“He’s alive too, but barely.” The blonde glanced back at the unconscious male lying in the bed. “You might want to call the hospital for him.” She got back up to her feet, before running her hand through her hair frustratedly. In her other hand, she gripped her wand tightly. “Damn it, it got away again.” She cursed.

As she moved to leave, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her steps. “Wait,” he told her, pulling himself up to his feet before she apparated away. “We need to talk. But not here.” His blue eyes glanced back at the man who got lucky.

* * *

They soon found themselves in one of his various nests set up around Gotham.

“That was a Lethifold.” Stated Stephanie, plainly to him. “It’s one of the most illegal and dangerous magical creatures in the world, one that is incredibly hostile and carnivorous. Especially with its penchant for human flesh.” Well that explained the coroner reports.

“So, what’s it doing in Gotham?” He asked her, seriously.

He didn’t want to point fingers, but considering that she was the only witch around, and one who proudly specialised in magical creatures and beast, he had to at least consider the possibility that she may have had something to do with this. And if she did, he would make sure that she got the punishment she deserved.

Stephanie’s blue eyes narrowed back at him, “that’s what I’d like to figure out myself.” She told him. “They’re not supposed to exist in Gotham, or anywhere else but the tropics for that matter.” She frowned.

Well, he guessed that meant she was in the clear then. “Was it illegally imported then?”

“It must have been.” Said the blonde, “I don’t by who, but I’m going to find out.”

“But first, we’ve got to stop that thing from killing anyone else in Gotham.” Interjected Tim, moving toward his computer as he brought up a map of all the listed crime scenes. “From what you’ve told me, there’s a high chance that it might be seeking areas of Gotham that mimic a tropical climate.” He typed into the computer. “And if that’s the case, I think this narrows down the possible location sites for where we’re more than likely to encounter it again.”

She moved to stand beside him, her blue eyes staring up at the highlighted areas. “Are you suggesting a ‘team-up’, boy wonder?” asked Stephanie, a smile on her lips playfully. “Especially considering that I happen to be one of the only _two_ people in Gotham city capable of casting the spell needed to stop it.” She added.

Tim sighed, “what choice do I have.”

The blonde chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not that bad of a partner in crime.”

After that night, he’d beg to differ.

She had used him as bait.

**오**

The next time Tim met Stephanie Brown after their Lethifold team-up stint, it was after he had woken up in an unfamiliar overly purple bedroom. One that was most certainly not his.

As he stared at the room, he was quick to notice that he was no longer in costume or masked. Immediately he felt his panic rise only to note that whoever had undressed him had left his costume and weapons folded neatly to a side; a not so smart move if they had been attempting to keep him hostage or captive. He did a quick one over check, nodding to himself as he confirmed that all his equipment and tech was indeed here.

He moved to change, pulling the shirt over his head before looking down at the shirt he wore. As he did, he couldn’t help but get a sipping suspicion of just whose bedroom this was if the terrible waffle pun on the shirt was anything to go by, “’Waffles are just pancakes with abs’?”

When he was done getting back into his gear, he placed the shirt back onto the bed before taking a better look at the room.

Aside from the hardbound covered books and clothes that were occasionally littered on the ground, the one thing that had captured his attention was the classical black typewriter that sat on the desk. It was bizarre, he would have imagined at a computer in its place. If the items in the room had not been a dead giveaway to whose room this was, the photograph on the desk beside the typewriter only went on to confirmed his assumptions as he picked it up.

In a white framed photograph, he watched in captivation as the image animated. In it, he immediately recognised one happy Stephanie Brown standing beside Bronte. They were both standing in front of a castle of some sorts, wearing dark black robes over what he assumed was their grey school uniforms. It must have been their graduation day as the two girls smiled at the camera before turning to look at each other, grinning as they did so. The image repeated the animation once more before freezing still again.

“Are you done snooping now, boy wonder?” A voice whispered into his ear.

He flinched as he spun around, his arms up and ready to attack but it lowered as he stared back at a smiling Stephanie.

She held her hands up for him to see. No wand. Nothing, she was unarmed. “Relax, I come in peace, Red.” She told him before turning, “now are you going to come for breakfast willingly or am I going to have to drag you there myself?”

He followed her out to the living room. If he had been surprised by the unexpected size of the living room, he did not say it. Instead, he addressed the main question that had plagued his mind for a while now, “how did I get here?”

Stephanie picked up a purple tea cup from the breakfast table she had set up in the corner of the living room, nursing the ceramic in her hand. “Well, what’s the last thing that you remember?” She asked him.

For a moment, he paused before speaking. “I was called to help Batman with an Arkham breakout last night, I had faced off against Scarecrow.”

“Well, there you go.” Stated the blonde, bluntly.

“But I had my mask on, I didn’t inhale any of the toxins that he had released last night.” Protested Tim. He was certain that he had managed to get his mask on in time, there was no possible way that he could have passed out from the toxins.

“Do you remember anything after that fight?” questioned Stephanie.

At that, he went silent. “No.”

Nothing. Suddenly his memory went blank. He didn’t remember anything after helping the police put Scarecrow back into Arkham. He remembered walking away, but aside from that… nothing.

The blonde witch hummed at that. “Well, let’s just say I didn’t expect to find a passed out Red Robin in the middle of the road on my way home last night.” She told him with a knowing smile. “And lucky for you, Timmy. It was _this_ good Samaritan was that was here to help! Now imagine if it had been anyone else, you might not even be alive right now.”

His lips dropped to a firm line, “you unmasked me.” He said, bluntly with disapproval. More than that, he was more surprised that she had even accomplished in doing so. “How did you even manage that? Our masks have a defence mechanism built into them to prevent that from ever happening.”

As she brought her cup to her lips, she grinned, “ _Magic~_ ” Before quickly adding, “and I already knew what you looked like, so it didn’t matter. Besides, it can’t be comfortable sleeping with those showgirl wings on your back like that.” She gestured to the wings strapped onto his back.

Before he could even retort her statements, a suddenly knocking was heard from the front door. Stephanie glanced over, “Oh, that must be Robin.” She moved to answer the door.

At that, Tim scowled. ‘Great, now Damian’s here.’ He knew the little demon spawn was not going to ever let him live this down.

“Drake.” Stated Robin as he marched into the quaint living room, walking up to the older male with a smirk on his lips. Just looking at the younger boy was already making Tim’s blood boil. “How embarrassing. To think that you needed to be saved by Brown of all people last night.” Chided Damian.

“Well, good morning to you too.” Said Stephanie, coming up from behind the younger boy as she lightly ruffled his hair. He snapped his head at her, ready to chastise her as well but she cut him off, “and I don’t think you should be saying anything like that, Robin.” She told him with a pointed look. “Especially since I’ve had to save your arse more times than I could count.”

Damian’s expression flattered slightly, “But the circumstances are different.” He protested.

She raised a single blonde brow and gave him a look, “If it’s saving your life, Robin, how different could it be?” Before he could reply, she turned over to look at Tim. “Coffee?” She gestured to the glass pot on the table.

“Yes, please.”

As Tim took the coffee cup from her, he felt mildly pleased to himself that Stephanie had easily shut down the little demon brat.

“Right,” said the blonde before taking a seat by the table. “Well, dig in. I didn’t make all of this for nothing.” She told them before passing them each a plate and a set of cutleries. “After all, everyone needs breakfast.”

As he took a bite into the freshly made waffles, he could not help but glance over at the blonde-haired witch who sat across him. Perhaps he had been too quick to judge Stephanie Brown over the years.

Blue eyes met his gaze as Stephanie smiled warmly back at him, she pointed to the coffee pot by her side, offering another cup. He nodded shyly, feeling his face flush up slightly in being caught staring at her for too long. As he passed his cup over to her, he couldn’t help but notice that his heartbeat had increased rapidly within the past few seconds.

As he watched the sickening interaction between the two, Damian Wayne tsked to himself before focusing back at his own meal.

* * *

**발문**

**Epilogue**

The conversation had occurred a little more than two months after the whole Scarecrow incident in Gotham.

“Hey, Kon,” said Tim, suddenly one night. They had been in the midst of sorting out case files in the Titans Tower. He looked over at the taller male, his eyes slightly stunned as if he had just come to shocking revelation. “I think I might have feelings for Stephanie.”

At that, Kon looked back at him surprised, “wait, you mean you haven’t realised that yet?”

Tim’s brows furrowed together in confusion, “what is that supposed to mean?”

The other male threw his hands up into the air frustratedly, ‘unbelievable.’ “Bring up your case file on Stephanie,” he told him. Tim obligated, typing into the computer on his arm before said case file was projected onto the larger screen before them. “Tim, _these_ are not photographs that you would find in a normal case file (especially on of yours). These are photographs of a boy in love.” He emphasised the last part.

Kon pressed another button, bring up another case file, one belonging to a criminal.

“Now, _these_ are the photographs of criminals. Look at that beautiful mug shot we got when I threw him to the ground, now _that’s_ a true casefile mug shot, not _that_.” Explained Kon, proudly before looking back at his red and black costumed friend. “Face it boy wonder, you’ve got a bad case of the Stephs.”

After a moment of silence, he brought the coffee cup in his hands to his lips, “I guess I do.” He hummed lightly.

“So, you guys got a wedding date set yet?”

He choked at that.

“Too soon?” asked Kon, not in the least sorry.

“Much too soon!”

“Please, it’s never too soon, Tim.”

**Author's Note:**

> Amortentia is the name of the love potion, or rather, the potion that unlocks infatuation/obsession.


End file.
